Earth Summit challenge for PM

By KEVIN NORQUAY in JOHANNESBURG

Help save the environment, pitch in to fight poverty, make life uncomfortable for Robert Mugabe - Prime Minister Helen Clark has plenty lined up for the world leaders' summit in Johannesburg.

For the next three days she will rub shoulders with about 100 leaders - though not stay-at-home United States President George W. Bush - at the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Helen Clark arrived in South Africa yesterday with the stated objective of positioning New Zealand as a champion of sustainable development.

She will today open her three days at the summit with an interview by news giant CNN, which is keen to hear her position on the issue.

An unstated New Zealand objective is to bring more pressure to bear on Zimbabwe over President Mugabe's policy of evicting white farmers from their land.

The summit, aimed at alleviating world poverty and protecting the environment, is predicted to end in development proposals and wishy-washy political declarations that mean very little.

Although economic, social and environmental matters will dominate, the topic of famine-stricken Zimbabwe seems certain to come up.

New Zealand is likely to try to accentuate the need for good governance in countries such as Zimbabwe, which has six million people suffering from famine.

Several largely "white" nations are likely to argue that in evicting white farmers from their land Mr Mugabe has made the famine worse.

It may be tough for Helen Clark and allies such as Britain, Australia and some European nations to gain widespread support, because host South Africa is unlikely to encourage attacks on its northern neighbour.

In Parliament this week, Helen Clark outlined the message she would be taking to the summit.

"Economic growth must be environmentally sustainable as it must be socially beneficial," she said.

"There can be no long-term benefit to our country, or any other, from growth based on low environmental standards, which degrade our natural heritage, or growth which fails to lift the quality of life for all our people."

The summit had to come to grips with problems such as climate change, a lack of clean water, air pollution, the depletion of world fisheries and forestry, and the loss of biodiversity.

"These are huge international issues and New Zealand's voice must be heard on them."

New Zealand has a central role at what will be the biggest gathering of world leaders since the September 11 attacks. It is one of 25 summit vice-presidents.

An estimated 45,000 delegates have for a week pondered how to balance the economic, social and environmental needs of the world.

Delegates will try to agree on a global development plan that revives the spirit of the landmark Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro 10 years ago.

Leaders will pledge to cut poverty, cut the income gap between rich and poor countries, and try to save the environment. But cynicism inspired by past failures has already labelled the summit little more than an expensive talk-fest.

A preliminary meeting in Bali in June failed miserably in a standoff over trade subsidies.

New Zealand went seeking progress on protecting oceans, trade liberalisation, natural resource management, and looking after fisheries and small Pacific islands.

But it is one of the 20 per cent of countries not taking a completed sustainable development strategy to show off, leading Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons to criticise Government efforts.

Helen Clark will on Wednesday meet former South African leader Nelson Mandela at the headquarters of his foundation in Johannesburg.

She also plans to meet Chilean Foreign Minister Soledad Alvear, Mexican President Vincente Fox and Swedish PM Goran Persson.

After the summit, she will visit a New Zealand dairy project in Pretoria, make a speech at the University of Cape Town and visit aid projects near that city.

On her last day in South Africa the Prime Minister will tour Robben Island prison, near Cape Town, where Mr Mandela spent many years.

- NZPA

Johannesburg Summit